60 BRITISH INSECTS 



its feeding is over, the larva spins a round cocoon, 

 which appears strangely small when compared with 

 its maker, or with the perfect insect which eventually 

 emerges from it through a small hole, to which the 

 cover remains attached like a lid. Judged from the 

 economic standpoint, the Chrysopid lacewings are of 

 considerable importance, for they are common insects, 

 and their larvae must destroy myriads of aphides or 

 " green-fly " each season. 



The last family of British Neuroptera is called 

 Coniopterygida. They are all tiny insects, with antennae 

 much longer than the body. The wings have a very 

 simple neuration, with few cross veins, while the hind- 

 wings are much smaller than those of the front pair. 

 Moreover, the body and wings are covered with a 

 peculiar white bloom. The larvae frequent plants, 

 and resemble those of lacewings in their form and 

 metamorphosis. They have been observed to feed 

 on minute scale insects. 



The twelfth order of British insects, the Mecaptera, 

 consists of the scorpion-flies, 1 a family which used to 

 be included with the Neuroptera. These insects dis- 

 play certain unique features in their structure and 

 life-histories, and their relationship to other orders 

 has not yet been demonstrated. The front part of the 

 head is very long and narrow, forming a kind of beak, 

 at the tip of which the small, toothed mandibles are 

 inserted. The first maxillae are considerably elon- 

 gated, and bear five jointed palpi ; while the second 

 maxillae, which are not specially long, are completely 

 fused to form the labium or lower lip. The antennae 

 are long, slender, and many-jointed. The four wings 

 are narrow, traversed by many veins, and (in the com- 

 1 PanorpidcB 



